Visits

Technical Visits

The technical visits will be held the 23th October 2015.
Your choice must be specified when you make your registration as participant ( registration button)

Schedule Information:

Casa Port Visit:

07.30 Departure by bus from Marrakech , arrival to Casablanca around 11.30

Visit of the station of Casa-Port

12.30 Lunch

Cultural visit

15.00 End of visit, 2 options return by bus to Marrakech arrival around 19.00
OR return by bus to the airport , Mohammed V of Casablanca around 16.00

Visit of the project THE MOROCCAN HIGH-SPEED LINE South zone

07.30 Departure by bus from Marrakech, arrival to Kenitra around 12.00

Visit of project in Kenitra

Lunch

Visit of the Viaduc Sebou

14.30 End of visit, 2 options return by bus to Marrakech , arrival 19.00
OR return by bus to the KENITRA Airport of Casablanca at around 17.00

Visit of the New Station in Marrakech and the Medina:

09.00 till 18.00

Departure at 09.00

Visit of the new Station

Visit of the Medina

Lunch

Visit of Historic sites

End of the visit at 18.00 at "Place Jamaa Lafnaa"

Description of Visits:

CASA PORT STATION

To support the restructuring and urban modernisation process in the cities of the Kingdom of Morocco and to respond better to the needs of its customers, Moroccan National Railways (ONCF) have embarked over the last ten years on an ambitious railway station construction and upgrading programme, involving both large, medium and small stations.

This programme to modernise and renovate stations marks a break with the previous, traditional concept of stations as simple transit points for travellers and adopts the current idea of the station as a communal space for both passengers and the general public. The aim is to create a central living space, a meeting point for social exchanges and gatherings, characterised in particular by:

A strategic location at the heart of urban centres;

Modern and functional commercial areas;

Ease of access for customers;

Good retail opportunities and permanent activity.

Thus, the concept is in line with the principle of integrating large “Rail Center” shopping centres in new railway stations. These arcades provide a wide range of services from banking and car rental, to restaurant facilities and big name retail outlets.

CASA PORT
A project in tune with the city’s overall development strategy

As the new jewel in the crown of the network’s modern assets, the new Casa Port station is part of a global approach to urban redevelopment in the Casablanca conurbation and is intended to accompany the growth in passenger traffic while opening up prospects towards wider urban development in the future.
At the heart of a city undergoing large-scale modernisation, this project fits in perfectly with the programme to re-dynamise the metropolis, in particular through the major Wessal Casablanca-Port project which will result in a fundamental transformation of the White City (a new marina, a science campus attraction, etc.). It aims to provide the local population with an even more up-to-date and attractive living environment and these objectives are perfectly in tune with those fixed for the new Casa Port railway station.

To this end, the new station will be constructed on the site of the old one, setting it back some distance to free up the space required for intermodal links and structuring traffic flows from the station to the town, such as a pedestrian forecourt, drop-off area, taxis rank, etc.

CASA-PORT
An infrastructure project at the service of sustainable mobility

Following on from the new generation of railway complexes that have been built in Marrakech, Fez, Tangiers and elsewhere, and designed according to the concept of creating intelligent, multi-purpose living spaces, Casa Port station has moved onto a new level through the sheer scale of this major project. It is a structure fully embedded in the new layout of the urban area around the station, at the hub of the major routes within the city and adjacent to the city’s harbour, the new marina and the Hassan II Great Mosque. The idea behind of this new construction is to renovate and modernize the station while at the same time providing integrated services to users (retail and leisure areas), developing intermodal links and improving commercial transport services to and from Casablanca. Indeed, a response was needed in the face of increasing passenger volumes, predominantly commuter journeys to and from work, while at the same time targeting the enhancement of the property value of the station by creating a one-stop- shop tertiary centre.

CASA PORT
A large-scale project

The new 33 500 m² Casa Port station is designed to handle over 20 million passengers per year and nearly 5 000 passengers per hour at peak times.
The first of its kind in Morocco, this station has been built based on an original concept combining contemporary designs and traditional Moroccan architecture. This is shown by the following architectural features:

A mixed concrete/timber skeleton, covered by a steel-frame roof pierced by light shafts contributing to the creation of a pleasant, soothing atmosphere in the concourse below;

Transparent façades designed specifically to aid spacial understanding and reduce stress for passengers in a hurry;

The contemporary mashrabiya on the west façade which softens the rays of the afternoon sun, a window which can be seen through but which filters the light.
In practical terms, the new Casa Port station has three main spaces with complementary functions, namely a passenger building, an underground car park and a building housing the offices of ONCF situated parallel to the platforms. The station includes:

Particular attention has been paid to the materials used and the effects of light, thus combining a statement in contemporary architecture with a reference to the main principles of classical Moroccan architecture.

Furthermore, the railway installations in the station including yards, platforms and shelters, have been refurbished to upgrade them and adapt them to the needs of increasingly maximised use that comes with changing trends in passenger traffic.
A total of €46 million has been allocated to bring this ambitious project to fruition:

€ 37 million for station construction work, including the 6-storey building

€9.2 million to upgrade railway installations (yard and tracks, overhead lines and signalling).

In addition, it should be pointed out that after the temporary station has been demolished and the site surroundings restored, the rail complex will be extended to complement the services currently on offer by the construction of hotels, a business centre and shops, on a site covering nearly 6 000 m².

THE NEW STATION IN MARRAKECH

Presence of retailers in the Marrakech Rail Center

Offering more amenities to passengersThis station, emblematic of the new railway station concept, provides improved access, services and transport facilities and enhances the customer experience:

Large 4000 m² car park with space for 160 vehicles, plus a future capacity of 300;

Electronic display of train times;

Station security systems: CCTV, fire detection;

PA system, escalators, lifts, advertising boards;

Public payphones;

Plentiful seating for passengers;

Automatic teller machines (ATMs).

Estimated trafficThe number of passengers leaving or arriving at the present station in Marrakech totalled 4.5 million in 2011, but this rose sharply to 6.5 million in 2015.

Cost and time required for the workTotal cost of construction of the new station in Marrakech: over €11 million.
Time taken for building work: 29 months

Work commenced: January 2006

Work completed: May 2008

A new concept in stations, providing services to passengers and the general public
Marrakech, also known as the “Pearl of the South”, is a magical ochre city spread out at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. From its founding by Yusuf ibn Tashfin, first king of the Almoravids, to the reign of the current King Mohammed VI, the beauty of the city has continued to dazzle visitors and is a continual source of inspiration for painters, poets and writers.

From its majestic ramparts to its magnificent palm groves, it jealously guards its age-old treasures, a heritage to be for ever preserved.

Marrakech has seen history pass through its walls under the dynasties of the Almoravids, Almohads, Marinids, Saadis and Alawites, and has preserved the best of Arabo-Andalousian civilization in the El Badi Palace, Koutoubia Mosque, Menara Gardens. This is the true Marrakech – its gateways, ramparts, oases, palaces, gardens, a record of Morocco’s heritage, emblem of its present and guarantee of a future rich in life and prosperity.

It is in this city of Marrakech that ONCF has opened a “new generation” station, as part of its ambitious programme of station construction and modernisation. With this station, ONCF has given Marrakech an edifice worthy of its historic importance and promising future. This new type of station is also proof of ONCF’s desire to move on from the traditional station concept as simply a point of transit, a stage in a journey, towards the idea of it as an important urban landmark. The station is now an essential multi-purpose meeting place, a place for interaction and the provision of many services.

In its quest for innovation and excellence, ONCF leaves no stone unturned to offer innovative products and services which meet the needs and expectations of its customers. This is why Moroccan Railways have implemented an extensive programme to upgrade their reception and hospitality facilities according to a new concept of futuristic stations. Encouraged by the success of such new stations as Oasis, Tangiers Ville and Tangiers Moghogha, ONCF intends to extend this new concept to other cities in the Kingdom, in particular Fez, Casablanca, Rabat and Mohammadia.

An architectural mixture of modernity and tradition

Strategically located in the city centre, opposite the Mohammed V theatre, the new station was designed to facilitate access by customers and to make the large structure easily recognizable in the urban landscape. The avant-garde style of the building is emblematic for this city of many famous monuments, contributing to the legendary magnificence of the ochre capital, with its charming traditions and its appeal attracting tourists from all over the world.

A space providing services, information, meeting places

The new station in Marrakech admirably combines the comfort of contemporary amenities and oriental refinement to provide a convivial space for gatherings and exchanges, marking it out to become a major socio-cultural hub in the city.
The facilities in the new building are available to the public in the form of:

A passenger terminal on the ground floor, extending over an area of 1200 m²;

The whole complemented by a magnificent esplanade of 5 000 m² with 1 500 m² of green spaces.

A new station conceptMoving on from the traditional function of a station as a mere point of transit, the new concept sees the station as a communal area, both for passengers and for the general public. It thus becomes a meeting place for exchanges and gatherings. It is an intelligent, multi-purpose space where it is a pleasure to spend time. With this in mind, stations should be designed to be more welcoming for customers who are increasingly calling for more practical, functional facilities.

This new stations concept includes an innovation which is now a feature of the railway landscape, that is, the integration of “Rail Center” shopping malls within their walls.
These are home to all the big-name, top-class retailers, for the use of passengers and the general public.

Indeed, the Marrakech “Rail Center” provides an opportunity which ONCF was willing to extend to reputed national and international stakeholders who like ONCF are keen to develop their networks of commercial activities in cities throughout the country, including top restaurant chains and big retail names in clothing, accessories, children’s toys, services, etc.

A station at the nerve centre of the Ochre City

The new station in Marrakech is the product of much thought on station design, producing new open spaces which are friendly, practical, and easy to find while still respecting the particular architectural and urban style of the city in which they are situated. Much consideration must be given to the harmonious integration of the railway in the modern world with all its changes, in particular from the dual standpoints of technology and commerce.

Indeed, Marrakech station fits harmoniously into the urban landscape of the Ochre City, responding to the challenges of its economic expansion and to the travel needs of its inhabitants.

THE MOROCCAN HIGH-SPEED LINE

Nature of the projectThe project to build a high-speed line between Tangiers and Casablanca, known as LGV, involves constructing a new 200 km double-track line between Tangiers and Kenitra for passenger traffic, designed to reach speeds of up to 350 km/h and to operate at 320 km/h.

Adapting and upgrading traditional tracks on the outskirts of Tangiers and Kenitra;

Constructing building yards in Tnine Sidi Elyamani and Kenitra, and linking them up to both the traditional tracks and the new line.;

Construction of a train maintenance workshop at Tangiers Moghogha station;

Acquisition of high speed train sets.

Cost of project

Sector

Estimate of cost

Studies and infrastructure

10 billion MAD

Rolling stock

4.4 billion MAD

Railway equipment

5.6 billion MAD

Overall total

20 billion MAD (*)

(*) Equal to €1.8 billion

Key Stages

2002- 2003 Exploratory high-speed study

2006 Drawing up of high-speed master plan

October 2007 Signing of the Agreement for the completion of the
Moroccan High-Speed Train project between Casablanca and
Tangiers and the Kingdom of Morocco, for the Tangiers-Casablanca
High-Speed Train project

March 2008 Establishment of ONCF steering committee to manage the project

April 2009 Setting up project management assistance

September 2009 Project declared of Public Utility

February 2010 Signing of State Programme-ONCF contract and of funding
agreement with the Hassan II Fund for socio-economic development

July 2010 Environmental acceptability granted by National Impact Study (CNEI)

December 2010 Signing of 6 financing agreements for the project and of the contract
for the purchase of high-speed train sets

September 2011 Official launch of construction work on the high-speed line between
Tangiers and Casablanca

April 2013 Signing of 3 contracts for railway equipment works and the initial
Joint Venture agreement. Maintenance of high-speed trains.

Map of route

Key Figures

1 800 hectares of land acquired

67 million m3 of cutting and embankment earthworks

12 million m3 of borrow material

12 viaducts, total length 10 km

120 hydraulic structures

196 rail and road bridges

1.6 million tonnes of ballast

48 000 tonnes of rails

700 000 sleepers

61 track switches and crossings

Cultural visits

In parallel of technical visits, a large choice of cultural visits is proposed here

You have differents visits and option presented on the document attached.